Santa Gertrudes is a municipality of 23,000 residents in the Piracicaba Metropolitan Region that has gained national recognition for a very specific industry: ceramics. Although small, the city has held the title of National Capital of Ceramic Floor and Wall Tiles since 2024, which reinforces its influence in the sector.
The numbers are impressive: it is estimated that the Santa Gertrudes Ceramic Cluster accounts for 70% of Brazil’s tile production and 92% of São Paulo’s production. In other words, the floor in your home probably came from there!
But the ceramics capital isn’t just about factories. Located 170 kilometers from São Paulo, Santa Gertrudes also offers a quick and welcoming tour of the São Paulo countryside. With its reminders of the coffee boom, rural architecture, and soap opera-worthy scenery, the city offers much more than just its industrial activity.
How did a small town in the interior of São Paulo become the Ceramic Tile Capital?
The history of ceramics in the city began in the 1920s, when residents realized there was an abundance of clay in the region. The first potteries set up shop there and began producing roof tiles and bricks; by 1970, Santa Gertrudes was already known as the “roof tile capital.”
Gradually, the industry moved toward glazed wall tiles and became a Brazilian benchmark. Currently, the Santa Gertrudes Ceramic Hub encompasses the municipality and its neighbors—Cordeirópolis, Ipeúna, Iracemápolis, Limeira, Piracicaba, and Rio Claro—which together produce up to 927 million square meters of wall tiles per year.
Beyond ceramics: what to do in Santa Gertrudes?
If you’re looking for things to do in Santa Gertrudes, know that the Santa Gertrudes Farm is the main cultural attraction. The estate, dating back to 1854, preserves elements from the heyday of São Paulo’s coffee cycle, such as the main house, an old granary, settlers’ houses, and a chapel.
The visit offers a glimpse into the municipality’s past, showing how a large 19th-century coffee plantation operated. In addition, the property has gained prominence in the Brazilian media by serving as the setting for period soap operas, such as *Esperança* ( TV Globo) and *A Escrava Isaura* (Record).
Finally, anyone thinking about renovating their home or entering the tiles and flooring business can take advantage of the shopping and industrial tourism opportunities in Santa Gertrudes. Just a few hours’ drive away, visitors from São Paulo will find a city whose economy is based on clay, but which keeps its rural past alive through farms, stories, and landscapes.
